Patronage critic dismisses Gov. Pat Quinn's IDOT moves

CHICAGO — A campaigner against political clout in government hiring says he has little confidence in new efforts by Gov. Pat Quinn to clean up how jobs are awarded at Illinois' transportation agency.

Michael Shakman responded Thursday to Quinn ordering a moratorium on political hiring at the agency and an outside audit of past hires. Quinn also is requiring staff in every state agency to undergo training about proper hiring practices.

The Chicago Democrat's actions come days after the resignation of his transportation secretary amid questions about whether state jobs were improperly filled.

Shakman has asked a federal court to appoint an outside monitor for IDOT hiring. He says the history of government agencies fixing their own patronage problems is dismal, and that Quinn promising to fix IDOT's problems isn't reassuring.